The present invention refers to a carry system for carrying or supporting medical-technical devices in a treatment room, as for example in a medical practice, in an operating theatre or an intensive care unit.
The invention particularly refers to a carry system comprising a support (for example a ceiling support) and at least one joint or a mechanism, by which the support can be moved in the treatment room. Hereby, the invention also refers to a ceiling support or an extension system for the suspension of medical devices.
Carry systems for medical-electrical end devices are often used in the clinical field, particularly in hospitals (for example, in operating theatres and intensive care units) and in medical practices. Medical ceiling supports are known serving for suspended reception of medical devices, as for example supply consoles, monitoring screens, ventilator systems, infusion pumps, and they are used in operating theatres or intensive care units for the placing and medical-technical supply of the systems which are required for operations, intensive care and examination of the patient respectively.
Typically, such ceiling supports are comprised of at least one vertical column or of a horizontal pivotable arm or extension with vertical column, which is pivotably fixed at the ceiling by means of a rotary joint, and of a console or a carrier, also called support head, in or on which the required connections and devices are arranged. By means of the pivotably supported arm or extension the support head can be swiveled in a desired radius, whereby the access to the patient is facilitated or an ergonomic working position can be set up. The support head can be provided with a handle, which serves for swiveling the support head in a desired position.
In order that the support head rests in its desired end position after the swiveling, typically a brake (for example a locking brake) is provided at the pivot joint or pivot bearing of the arm or extension respectively. This brake can be provided as friction brake, wherein the operating force can be excessive. However, at least one locking brake can be provided in controllable form, which blocks the rotary joint in its resting position. The controllable locking brakes also facilitate the specific motion of the support head, as the lockings of the rotary joints can be released individually. If the locking brake is released, the support head can be swiveled manually. For this purpose, an operating aid can be provided in the handle, for example in the form of an operating element or a switcher.
Further, the arm or the extension can be adjustable in height. In other words, additionally or alternatively to its swivel mechanism, it can be adjusted in its height position by adjusting the arm via a corresponding mechanism, for example by a motor. Also the lifting actuator can be operated by an operating aid, as for example an operating element or a switcher respectively. The operating element can be provided in a handle.
Once the ceiling support system or carry system of the above-mentioned style is provided with several operating elements or switchers, there is the danger of confusion or uncertainty in view of which joint or which mechanism is operated by which operating element or switcher. In more complex ceiling support systems, which are composed of several horizontal arms or extensions and a height-adjustable vertical column, for each brake and also for the motor for height adjustment of the column there are provided operating elements at the support head at the pivot joints between the arms and the arm and the column. Therefore it may be difficult for the staff to find the respective operating element on an operating aid with a plurality of operating elements, which activates the desired motion or releases the brake required therefor.
This problem increases considerably when the user has to operate the carry system or support head during weak or bad lighting conditions, which happens quite often in practice. Although patients in an intensive care unit normally sleep in a darkened room during the night, of course the doctors and nurses continue with their work. This also includes modifications of the settings of the medical devices or carry systems. During an operation, for specific procedures (i.e. during endoscopic procedures) the lights in the treatment room are often damped or “dimmed” in order to optimally reveal the diagnostic radiations and/or the diagnostic pictures, but the medical staff still has to cope with such slightly darkened lighting conditions. Also during an emergency lighting in the hospital, the lighting conditions are of course not optimal. Therefore, a correct handling of such a carry system encounters difficulties.